


I'm The Monster

by KookiemonsterV



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-03-27 14:32:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13882884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KookiemonsterV/pseuds/KookiemonsterV
Summary: What if Mike was the one who got taken to the upside down?Not everything is as it seems and not everyone can be trusted.





	1. The Vanishing of Mike Wheeler

Mike was on his way home from Will’s when it happened.

It was already pretty late so everything was dark, his parents were out of town and Nancy couldn’t care less about his curfew so he decided staying another hour wouldn’t hurt.

He just didn’t realize that meant walking back through that creepy forest all alone in the dark.

 

“Hello? Is anyone out there?”

 

He felt stupid but he kept hearing sounds coming from behind him… was someone following him?

He started to walk faster almost running, trying his best to not let his bike bump into anything.

“Mike!”

He turned his head back just for a second

_'Was that Will?'_

Nothing was there.

_'huh'_

But when he turned back around everything went black.

*** 

Nancy was having the best night of her life.

Her parents were out of town so she had the house all to herself, well herself and Steve

“Stop it Steve! Mike can come home any minute! What time is it anyway?”

 

They were on her bed “studying” and totally lost track of time

 

“Do you honestly think the first thing your brother is going to do is to barge into your room at 10 pm?”

 

“Did you just say 10?! Oh he is so dead!”

 

Nancy reached for the phone by her bed, she was furious

“Guess we’re not studying anymore…”

That comment got Steve a VERY annoyed glare from Nancy

 

“Hello?”

 

“Hi, Jonathan? This is Nancy, Sorry for calling this late can you please get Mike on the phone? He was supposed to be back by 8”

 

“Mike? He left an hour ago… are you sure he’s not home?”

 

Nancy felt her heart drop

 

“Hey Nance what’s going on? You look like you saw a ghost”

***

Mike was starting to come to, his head was pounding and he could barely breath he started coughing

_'what happened? Did I pass out?'_

It looked like he was still in the same spot he was when he blacked out only his bike wasn’t there and everything was covered in something sticky and disgusting

_'how long was I out?'_

 

He heard someone crying ' _a girl maybe?_  ' and followed the voice

 

“Hey are you okay?”

 

It was a girl (or a very small boy) her head was shaved and she was wearing what looked like a hospital gown.

She was sitting with her knees up and her head between them, she was sobbing

“Hey”

Mike reached out and touched her shoulder not realizing he might totally freak her out

She jumped and he saw two puffy brown eyes staring at him in shock. She looked like a deer in headlights.

 

“Are you lost? Do you need help?”

That seemed to make things worse, tears filled her eyes again and that was the first time Mike noticed that she was bleeding from her nose

_'hospital gown, shaved head, bloody nose, this can’t be good'_

 

“I’m Mike short for Michael, what’s your name?”

The girl took a second but eventually reached her hand out and showed him a tattoo ‘ **11’**

“Wow is that real??”

Mike tried to touch it but the girl quickly pulled her hand back

 

“Sorry, I just never saw a kid with a tattoo before… Eleven? That’s your name?”

Eleven nodded

“Maybe we can call you El? Short for Eleven?”

She nodded again but now she had a little smile on her face, that smile quickly disappeared her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out

“EL??”

Mike tried to shake her but she was totally out ,Suddenly he heard something that sounded like a growl coming from the trees

 

And then he saw it.

It looked like a person but, it didn’t have a face.

He was afraid to move, that creature hasn’t seen them yet but one wrong move and they’re that monster’s next meal.

The monster didn’t seem to be going anywhere but Mike knew they couldn’t stay here; they have to get to his house Nancy will know what to do

 

He started dragging El trying to make as little noise as possible

 

_***crack*** _

 

_'oh shit shit shit'_

 

The monster looked right at him but didn’t move.

Mike didn’t stop to see if it followed them or not he just ran as fast as he could dragging El with him.

 

Something wasn’t right, wherever he looked things look different, he still couldn’t catch his breath like the air was dirty and everything was covered in sticky goo.

He could finally see his house in the distance

_'I really need to work out more'_

His arms were tired from carrying El the whole way and he felt like his body isn’t going to make it a lot further.

 

Finally they got to his house, opened the door and laid El on the floor for now

 

“Nancy?!”

 

Everything was dark, he ran up to her room but she wasn’t there

He was alone.

***

“Nance calm down, he’s probably at one of his other friends”

Nancy has already called Dustin and Lucas and they both said the last time they saw Mike was at Will’s when he decided to stay longer, Jonathan was on his way looking for Mike on the way.

“You did not just tell me to calm down! My brother is missing do you get that? If he’s not dead I swear I’ll kill him for this”

Nancy knew something was just wrong, she could feel it.

 

“Ummm Nance?”

 

She wasn’t paying attention trying to decide whether to call her parents or not when suddenly the lights flickered

 

“Was the front door open this whole time?”

***

Will couldn’t tell anyone what he saw; they’ll think he’s crazy.

What was he supposed to say ’ _yeah I saw my best friend being grabbed by a monster and disappear into nothing , one second he was there next second he wasn’t’_

So when he and Jonathan found Mike’s bike he had to act surprised, Jonathan wouldn’t understand he needs to talk to his friends.

 

“Hey, you ok?”

 

Jonathan noticed right away his brother was acting weird, Will never lied why would he start now?

“Umm yeah, just tired… I guess”

“Don’t worry. We’ll find him”

 

And for a second Will truly believed that, until he saw that thing again.

And this time, it was headed to the Wheeler’s house.


	2. The Weirdo on Maple Street

Eleven woke up on a cold floor in a room she didn’t recognize, she lifted her fingers to her nose and saw fresh blood covering them.

She’s in the upside down she knows that.

The last thing she remembers from the real world is getting in that bath for another test only this time she was stuck.

 

She saw something, that thing.

 

Papa told her to touch it that’s when she realized she can’t go back, no matter how scared she was she was still there in the dark- running.

 

‘Hey you’re awake! How are you feeling?”

Mike

That part she remembered clearly.

 

**_It wasn’t the first time she had seen Mike, sometimes when she was bored and locked away in her room she’d tie her pillowcase around her eyes and walked around Hawkins, not very far mostly just the woods around the lab looking for a way out._ **

**_Until that one time_ **

**_She heard laughter, not the fake laughter she would hear from the people in white robes in the lab – real joyful laughter._ **

**_It was a group of boys; they were talking about stuff she didn’t understand_ **

 

**_“Dustin show us that thing that you can do with your hands”_ **

**_One of the boys got up from the circle they were sitting in, he took off his coat and twisted his arms with a loud pop noise came out of them_ **

 

**_The boys lost it, all of them cheering and laughing_ **

**_“That is so gross! “_ **

 

**_“Shut up Lucas! I actually think it looks cool, it’s like you have superpowers or something”_ **

_‘This boy really thinks having powers is…cool?’_

 

**_“Thanks Mike it’s not like I can fight evil with it”_ **

 

**_Eleven felt her cheeks burning up and she couldn’t hide the smile that appeared on her face, this Mike person she likes him._ **

 

**_After that day she started looking for him all the time, watching him from a far._ **

**_If only she could talk to him if only he could see her but that’s not possible while she’s locked away in the lab…_ **

 

**_Is it?_ **

*******

“I’m sorry we looked everywhere, the only thing we found was his bike”

Nancy couldn’t stop herself from crying now, it was all her fault. If only she noticed how late it was and that Mike have been gone for so long…

 

“You can’t blame yourself Nance. He knew his curfew and chose to stay an extra hour who knows what he decided to do next?”

 

“Not helping Steve.”

 

It was already so late at night, Jonathan and Will both looked exhausted.

“Maybe we should sleep on it? Going out there looking for him is just going to be a waste of time, it’s dark and we won’t see anything. We’ll wait till morning if he won’t come back we’ll call the cops and my parents, what do you guys think? “

 

They all nodded except for Will

 

*******

“I tried the phone but the line is dead and everyone are gone, where the hell are we?”

Mike was pretty proud of himself, despite not knowing what was going on he kept his cool and didn’t freak out.

That has nothing to do with the fact he was fascinated with the girl in front of him and how he wanted to impress her, no it definitely was not that.

 

They went down to the basement, Mike was looking for his supercom it was pretty much their last resort.

“Mike”

That was the first word Eleven has ever said to him and that made him stop and just look at her

“Hey so you can talk!”

 

But she didn’t look happy, she kept staring down not looking at him

_‘she’s probably scared and cold she’s only wearing that hospital gown’_

 

“Don’t worry El, we’re going to figure everything out and I’m going to get us out of here. I promise.”

 

_‘Whatever here is’_

 

“Pro-mise?”

 

“That means something you can’t break”

 

Suddenly a sound came from the stairs, as if someone was standing on the first step but not coming down yet

Mike and El looked at each other shocked; both too scared to say anything

 

Then they heard the steps continuing, whoever it is he was making his way down the stairs.

Mike grabbed the nearest thing closest to him and stood in front of El, blocking her from view, he just then realized the thing he grabbed was the spaceship Will got him for his birthday

_‘great job what am I going to do throw it?’_

the steps got closer and Mike could feel his heart beating so fast

 

“Mike? Is that you?”

 

_‘There’s no way that’s…’_

 

“WILL?!”

*******

“The girl still hasn’t woken up Dr. Brenner …”

Brenner was sitting in his office with his head in his hands, he can’t lose her.

“And the brain activity?”

Ever since they couldn't wake her up a couple of days ago he was certain she had somehow got into a coma, a person can’t just get into a coma but then again- she’s not a regular person.

 

“Normal Dr. and the nosebleeds come back once an hour.”

_‘Interesting’_

 

“Keep trying to wake her up. “


	3. Willy,Nilly

Jonathan and Will decided to spend the night at the Wheeler's, Steve had to get home and Jonathan wasn't going to let Nancy sleep alone after the night she just had.

"Really you don't have to stay!"

Will was already asleep on the couch by then, Jonathan gave Nancy an apologizing look even though he knew this gave him the perfect excuse not to leave.

  
"Sorry, he's probably exhausted from everything... Mike is his best friend you know? I mean he'll never admit it to the others but their connection is... special. I see it whenever they're together, Will just lights up and he cares a lot about him"

Nancy nodded silently, looking over the sleeping boy wondering how everything have gotten so wrong.  
Even Will looked scared, shaking and sweating as if he was having a nightmare

* * *

  
Will had no idea he fell asleep until he woke up in that place again.

  
'This place' he called it but it was just a nightmare, a recurring horrible nightmare.  
It's like home but dark and cold, usually he was there alone walking around trying to find a way to wake himself up but sometimes he could see a girl always the same one,always for a split second and then she was gone.

And a few nights ago he saw something else... something that scared him so much that he woke up, the same thing he saw when Mike disappeared in the woods.

 

Today he was still at Mike's house,he got up from the couch when he heard voices from the basement.  
He's scared, it was all a dream right?  
So how did that creature from his dream showed up at the woods behind his house?

 

Will decided to go down to the basement anyway, whoever it is they can't hurt him - it's a dream.

 

“That means something you can’t break” a very familiar voice said, Will started to walk faster.

 

“Mike? Is that you?”

 

It was Mike! He was holding that spaceship for some reason but who was he talking to?

“WILL?!”

 

Mike dropped the spaceship and ran to hug Will, his eyes watering

"I thought I was never going to see you again, I don't know what happened it's like everything is upside down and I don't know what to do"  
  
But all Will could see was the girl behind Mike, she was staring at him wide eyed probably mirroring the way he was staring at her because he knew her.  
The girl from his dreams but never for more than a second, definitely not long enough to stare at her or even really look at her  
Mike broke the hug to look at Will

 

"Wait how are you here? and where is everyone?"

 

Will looked at the floor for a second, this Mike wasn't real he can't be

  
"Mike i'm so sorry this is all my fault! I should have told someone straight away but I didn't and now you're gone and I don't know what happened to you!"

 

"WOAH WOAH WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

 

Will was the one crying now, sat down on the sofa trying to hide his face from Mike

 

"i'm sorry Mike this isn't real you're just in my head, this isn't real any of this"

 

"Real" a voice Will didn't know said and a hand was on his shoulder, he didn't need to look up to know who it was

 

"I'm really here Will so is El"

' _El? He already gave her a nickname?'_

 

"But how can this be real? Mike nothing happened back home except you disappeared, everyone are still there also I dream about this place all the time" 

El went over to the D&D board and flipped it over

 

"Upside down" 

 

Mike and Will looked at each other with questioning look 

"Upside down... like the vale of shadows! Don't you get it Will??

This place is like an evil dimension of Hawkins but... how did we end up here? more importantly, how the hell do we get back?" 

 

_"Mike, do you copy?!"_

 

**_THE SUPERCOM!_ **

* * *

 

Lucas was lying on his bed with his hand behind his head staring up at the ceiling, he felt bad.

The last time he saw Mike he was angry, they had a fight which was one of the reasons Mike didn't come home with them in the first place

 

_They were just finishing up a campaign of D &D, this time Lucas was in charge. He's been planning this for months, usually Mike was the Dungeon Master but for once Lucas wanted to try it out _

_"Something's coming. Something hungry for blood._

_A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness._

_It is almost here._

_**THE DEMOGORGON! "**  _

_Mike rolled his eyes_

_"Something wrong?"_

 

_"Nothing, you just made it obvious it was the Demogorgon that's all"_

_Lucas could feel himself getting angry, he was just as good of  a Dungeon Master as Mike_

_"Oh and you think you could have done it better?! You're just jealous! jealous that i'm better than you at the one thing you're good at!"_

 

_Everyone could see that what Lucas said affected Mike, he was turning red_

_"FIREBALL"_

 

_"Mike you can't! you'll have to roll a 13 or higher"  Dustin tried to help but Mike had already made up his mind and rolled the dice_

_It was a 7._

_"Sorry Mike looks like the Demogorgon got you"  Lucas was pushing it, rubbing it in Mike's face_

 

_"FINE! This campaign was stupid anyway!  I knew it was a bad idea!"_

_Now Lucas stood up and walked over to Mike who just got up from his seat_

_"Ohhhh you knew it was a bad idea did you? well who died and made you the king of this party huh? "_

 

 " _Guys can we just relax for a second? "_

 

_"SHUT UP DUSTIN" They said simultaneously_

 

_"Fine then if you think you're so much better than me then have fun playing it BY YOURSELF! I'M GOING HOME"_

_He got his backpack and stormed out_

 

_"I better go with him to calm his nerves, Mike you coming?"_

_It was a dumb question, but Dustin couldn't just leave Mike to go by himself_

 

_"Nah you go ahead, I'll help Will to clean everything up and Jonathan will give me a ride home or something"_

_Dustin gave them a finale disappointed look and ran out to find Lucas standing outside the house, he heard everything_

 

_"Hey how did you know I was gonna come after you?"_

 

_"I didn't"_

_He looked through the window to see Mike and Will laughing as if nothing happened_

_"He doesn't care about me at all "_

_and that was the last time he saw him_

How was he supposed to know something is going to happen? 

He grabbed his supercom, maybe Mike has it in his bag

 

"Mike, do you copy?!" 

 

Nothing. 

 

Well it was worth a try, one thing he knew for sure - He needs to find Mike. 


	4. The Body

****

"LUCAS?? LUCAS DO YOU COPY?? IT'S MIKE"

Nothing.

Mike looked at Will hoping his face might give him some hope but he was gone, his heart fell. Was he just imagining him? Tears filled his eyes, Eleven was asleep again he noticed blood running from her nose again.

_'Am I going to die here?'_

He fell asleep too. 

 

* * *

 

 

Steve was walking home from Nancy's, his parents took the car so he didn't have many options. 

_'Damn are the streets always this scary?'_

Hands in his jacket pockets he started humming, he can see his house from here so nothing to get nervous about even if Nancy's brother disappeared not too from where he was walking.

Steve took the key out from his pocket reaching the front door of his house, the wind blew hard drops of rain were starting to fall from the sky. The door opened revealing the dark home, he quickly got inside and turned the lights on.

Rain was now pouring outside but that wasn't the thing that caught Steve's attention

"What the hell?" 

Outside right by the pool was a little kid wearing a hospital gown, sitting as if watching the rain hitting the pool water. Steve walked out carefully, not really sure what to do already soaking wet

 

"Hey! Who are you? what are you doing here?!" 

the closer Steve got the blurrier the kid got, he couldn't see anything

"Kid! i'm talking to you!" 

but as the kid turned around Steve realized it wasn't a kid at all, It didn't have a face. 

 

* * *

 

 

"I think there's a sleeping bag in the closet,I know Mike's room is empty but... I just don't really want anyone to sleep there until we find him is that okay?" 

Nancy was holding herself back from saying she also didn't want to be alone, there was something about Jonathan that always made her calm as if having him around would somehow bring Mike back from wherever he was

 

Jonathan nodded and gave her a reassuring smile, and that feeling came over her again like everything is going to be okay.

Suddenly the sound of rain filled the room and a loud thunder startled both of them which caused Nancy to hit her head on the top of her closet 

 

"Nancy are you okay?!"

Jonathan rushed over to her but her face was covered with her hands, she was laughing 

"Nancy?" he couldn't help but start laughing too, every time they looked at each other they laughed harder 

Gasping for air while the laughter died a little they share a lingering look  

Nancy cleared her throat and got up

 

"Sorry I don't know what just happened this day was just..." she stumbled  

"Crazy" Jonathan finished her sentence 

He took a last look at Nancy before spreading the sleeping bag on the floor and falling asleep, another thunder echoed through the room all Nancy could hope was that Mike was somewhere warm and safe even if she didn't really believe it.

 

* * *

 

 

Will woke up terrified,covered in sweat from the thunder that blasted through the house, the blanket that someone must have brought him was on the floor right next to a toy of a dinosaur that Mike always used to carry around everywhere 

That place, that girl , that monster are all real? How the hell is he going to help Mike if he doesn't even know what's real and what's not 

 

He decided, first thing tomorrow he'll tell Dustin and Lucas everything. If it is real then Lucas really did try to reach Mike with the supercom and if he really did that, it means he actually succeeded.

 

* * *

 

 

Morning came quickly after that, Mike of course was still missing and Nancy was on the phone trying to reach her parents’ hotel yet she couldn’t get through

“Maybe they gave you the wrong number? Do you remember the name of the hotel? We can call 411”

Nancy put her head in her hands trying to remember the name but it was one of those times where no matter how hard you’ll try you’ll never remember the thing you need most

 

The doorbell rang and Nancy jumped out of her seat already expecting to see Mike standing there with his stupid smile he always had when she got angry at him

“Mrs. Byers? “

Jonathan and Will both went pale realizing they forgot to let their mom know they’re staying the night

 

Joyce walked into the kitchen where they were sitting, her hand protectively around Nancy’s shoulder

“No phone, no note, no nothing! Isn’t it enough to have one missing boy?! You want to make it three?”

 

After the boys apologized Nancy told Joyce everything

“Sweetie I am so sorry you had to go through that all by yourself, first thing we’ll go to the police together they’ll know what to do. You boys need to get to school okay? Ask around, maybe someone saw him”

 

Everyone got ready to leave, Jonathan and Will still had to pass through their house to change their clothes and get their things

Will quickly got down to the basement and made sure the supercom was there, he scribbled a note

**‘ _Mike, I don’t know if you’ll get this but if you will just know THE SUPERCOM WORKS!! Stay close to it we’ll try again soon_**

**_Promise I’ll get you out of there,_ **

**_Will’_ **

He left the note under the supecom and ran upstairs

 

“Will sweetie, are you sure you’re okay with going to school? You’ve had a long night, you look a little pale maybe you should stay home?”

“NO! No mom I’m fine really, I just… want to find Mike already”

 

* * *

 

 

Monday morning was Jim's least favorite time of the week, it wasn't even morning yet and the phone's been ringing for what seemed like forever when he finally decides to actually get up and answer

"Yeah?"

His voice was rough, drank too much again last night 

"Chief, we got a problem. Benny saw a body in the woods right near his place,

He says it's a little kid Chief. " 

 

Jim breathed hitched "A kid?" 

 

* * *

 

 

"So... You heard me last night? and you think you saw Mike in his basement? with a girl?" Lucas had his unbelieving look on, Dustin on the other hand looked wide eyed at Will

"Mental" 

 

"You know what I think? I think, you just heard me from Mike's supercom and it somehow got into your crazy dream! Honestly do you hear yourself?!" 

Will took a big breath, standing up to this friends wasn't something he normally does, especially not when it came to Lucas and Mike - those two could fight for hours

"I'm just telling you what I saw Lucas,You don't have to believe me! But after school i'm going to try talking to him again are you going to come with me or not?" 

 

Dustin nodded his head trying to signal Lucas to say yes to Will's suggestion but Lucas was staring somewhere else

"Hello? Did you hear what I just said?" 

 

The sound of sirens was heard loud and clear, an ambulance and a police car were soon revealed driving fast somewhere

"Oh my god... Mike!" 

The boys still on their bikes rushed after them arriving to the scene just to see them a gurney being brought out of the woods near Benny's diner 

 

"Oh shit oh shit oh shit " Dusting looked down too scared to see who it was

Will's eyes widened 

"It's not Mike!" Lucas said a mix of sadness and joy in his voice

 

"It's the girl from my dreams" 

On that gurney was a girl, wearing a hospital gown with a shaved head.

* * *

 

 

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED? WHERE IS THE GIRL?!" 

The lab was a madhouse, doctors and scientists all looking for one girl

 

"We're sorry Dr.Brenner! She was in a coma! We left her for five minutes! No normal person can wake up from such a long coma and walk away like nothing happened" 

Brenner punched the table next to him

 

"But she is not NORMAL IS SHE? 

FIND HER!" 

 

 

 


End file.
